Kaito's Virus
by Queen Sunstar
Summary: Akaito: I'm facing my greatest fear, losing my twin brother, Kaito. You see, he got really sick, and fell into a coma after being rushed to the hospital. His only hope of surviving is an experimental treatment that has only a 20% survival rate, but the shape my brother is in, he only has a 5% chance of surviving. He's been deteriorating, and I fear I will have to say goodbye.
1. Chapter 1

**Queen Sunstar: I love the Vocaloids! My favorite is Kaito. Normally, I listen to instrumental stuff. I am mostly deaf, but I can hear. I don't hear high notes or sounds, but I can hear low notes and sounds. Kaito's voice sits in the low sound range I can hear, and my favorite song is Tell Your World by Kaito. It is in Japanese, and I happen to be able to understand Japanese. I can't speak the language other than counting to ten and a few words. I'm sorry to Akaito, but he is fun to torture. Every Vocaloid in this tale is most likely a little OC. If someone is not acting as they should, I apologize. Sorry, no shipping here. Kaito and Akaito are twins, and it may feel like a shipping at times, but they are not lovers. I own only Dr. She, and the plot.**

One of his headaches was coming on. Kaito moved toward his bed and sat down, the growing headache reaching migraine status. He reached for the top drawer of his night table. His vision swam. He blinked, his hand closing around the bottle of prescription pain medication. He managed to swallow two pills before collapsing onto his bed. He closed his eyes, waiting for the pounding to stop. His stomach lurched painfully. Kaito breathed slowly, fighting the rising nausea. He careened out of bed and rushed toward the bathroom. His vision swam again. He stumbled up against the wall. A knock sounded at his bedroom door.

"Kaito, are you okay in there?" It was Miku.

Kaito knew if he opened his mouth, he would vomit. He took a deep breath, and made it to the bathroom to collapse in front of the toilet. His last meal came up in a wave of bloody froth. He coughed harshly, bringing up another wave of bloody froth.

"Kaito? I'm coming in!" Miku sounded worried. She opened the door and rushed to the bathroom where Kaito was currently huddled over the toilet, "Kaito, what is wrong?"

"I'm not feeling well." Kaito groaned, and vomited some more into the toilet, "It's one of my migraines..."

"There is no way you are going to be able to perform tonight." Miku rubbed Kaito's back, "I'm going to have to come up with something or else I'll have to cancel the concert. I bet I could convince Akaito to do your parts. The two of you sound alike. Sadly, he is a klutz."

"Guy's got two left feet." Kaito closed his eyes, "I hate this."

"I hate seeing you this way. You think you are done?" Miku asked.

"Yea. I'm feeling a little better." Kaito rose, and swayed, catching the wall to keep himself up. He staggered back to his bed and folded onto it like a stack of cards.

"Let's get you into your pajamas and into bed." Miku decided.

Kaito was too dizzy to manage the task by himself. Miku had to help him. She left and returned with a bowl and a glass of water. Kaito had managed to get under the covers. Miku placed the items on the night table.

"Thanks, Miku." Kaito replied.

"You are welcome, Kaito. Get better soon." Miku headed downstairs.  
Luka was waiting along with Akaito.

"What is going on, Miku?" Akaito asked.

"Kaito's sick. There is no way he can perform tonight." Miku sat down.

"We can't cancel the concert!" Luka cried out.

"That is why I asked you two to come here. Gakapo and Len are doing who knows what, Rin is too busy coordinating tonight's performance, and Mieko is not performing tonight. Akaito could handle Kaito's parts." Miku said.

"Are you serious? Akaito can't dance to save his life!" Luka cried out.

"I'm sitting right here!" Akaito snapped, "I can dance!"

"You don't dance. You fall!" Luka shot back.

"I do not! The floor is mean to me!"

"Hey!" Miku called out, "That is enough!"

"I really can dance." Akaito pouted.

"You better know Kaito's parts." Luka hissed.

"What about the song Kaito and I were going to do together?" Akaito ignored her.

"That song has been removed from the line up." Miku answered, "You are going to do a solo. I'm thinking maybe a love song."

"Ooh! He could do I Thought She Loved Me!" Luka called out.

The sound of vomiting drifted downstairs. Miku got up and went upstairs. She returned a few moments later.

"He is real out of it. He is nearly as white as his jacket. I don't want to leave him alone like this." Miku said.

"Mieko could watch him while we perform tonight." Luka replied, "So, will Akaito sing the song I chose?"

"Why didn't she love me? Why did she leave? Was it me? Was it something I did?" Akaito answered in song.

"Yes he is totally singing that one." Miku replied, picking up the phone to call Mieko. Mieko agreed to watch Kaito.

* * *

Hours later, Mieko arrived. The three performers left for the concert. Mieko went upstairs to Kaito's room and went in. Kaito was asleep. She sat in his desk chair and watched over him as he slept. The stark whiteness of his skin made his blue hair stand out even more. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. Mieko stood and placed a cool hand on Kaito's forehead.

"You are burning up." Mieko went and found a thermometer. She slipped it into Kaito's mouth. It beeped after a few moments.

"104.3. that is quite high. I need to cool you down." Mieko went and got a bowl of cold water and a washcloth. She began to wipe the sweat off of Kaito's brow. The blue haired singer seemed to sigh in relief. "That feels good, huh?"

Sometime later, Mieko checked Kaito's temperature, "102.8. That is better."

"Hmm..."

"Waking up?"

"Mieko?"

"Yes? I've been taking care of you."

"Thanks."

"You are welcome. I hope you don't mind, but I've been watching the concert on TV."

"You could turn it up."

"Okay." Mieko turned the volume up. On TV, Akaito was singing I Thought She Loved Me. Kaito began to nod along to the beat of the music. The next performance was by Miku and Gakupo. The next song, Miku sung alone

Kaito yawned, feeling tired. He fell asleep listening to Len and Luka sing. Mieko considered turning the volume down, but left it where it was. She yawned, feeling tired herself. It was late, and the concert would end in two hours. She struggled to stay awake but ended up dosing instead. The sound of coughing woke her up. Kaito was nearly doubled over, his body shaking from coughing so hard. He slumped backward with a tired sigh. Mieko gasped, staring at the blood on the blanket.

"Kaito? Are you okay?" Mieko asked.

Kaito's answer was to grab the bowl and vomit. It was entirely blood. He couldn't seem to stop. After finally stopping, he fell backward with a shudder, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

"Kaito? Kaito! Wake up!" Mieko shook him, getting no response. "I'm calling for help!"

* * *

"That was a good concert." Miku said as they walked home from the concert hall.

An ambulance sped by, stopping in front of a house.

"Wonder what happened." Akaito said.

"That's my house!" Miku realized.

"You don't think?" Luka worried.

"Kaito?" Akaito ran. The others ran behind him to the house. Mieko was on the stairs, crying.

"What happened?" Akaito asked, his voice colored by fear.

"It's Kaito!" Mieko cried, "He just fainted and I couldn't wake him!"

"Everyone, into the living room." Miku ordered as everyone followed. It wasn't long before the paramedics came down the stairs carrying Kaito on a gurney.

"We are taking him to the hospital, Providence General Hospital. His heart is working too hard, and he is not moving oxygen too well." A Paramedic said, "One of you can ride with us."

"I will." Akaito said.

"I'll drive." Miku nodded.

* * *

"So, brother?" The paramedic asked later in the ambulance.

"We're twins." Akaito responded, "We are identical twins. Before you even ask, no, we can't feel what the other is feeling, nor can we talk telepathically to the other. No twin powers here, other than knowing when the other needs the other. There have been times when we have sensed the other twin in danger, but that is it. I didn't sense anything was wrong until I saw the ambulance."

The ambulance arrived at the hospital and Akaito followed the gurney as far as he was allowed to go. The others met him in the waiting area. It would be a long wait. Morning broke, coloring the sky in pink and gold hues as the sun rose. Miku, Luka, and Mieko dosed. Akaito paced. A doctor entered the room.

"Kaito?" She called.

The group gathered around her.

"My name is Dr. She, and I'm an infectious disease specialist. Kaito is under my care. He has a severe lung infection that has spread to his blood. It is starting to infect his heart, liver, and kidneys. It appears to be a virus of some kind, and I'm running tests to determine what it is. Right now, he is in isolation and it appears he has fallen into a coma. We are breathing for him right now, and you will see a lot of wiring. He is in room four of the isolation ward. This way." Dr. She led them to the isolation ward. They gathered around a window. Inside the room, doctors in hazmat suits moved around, tending to Kaito. "We don't know if this is contagious yet."

"Mieko and I have been taking care of him, and Akaito was with him in the ambulance!" Miku's eyes went wide.

"We've been around them!" Luka realized.

"That's not good. I'm putting you in room five. You'll still be able to watch Kaito through the window in there." Dr. She opened the door and they trooped in. They all went to the window.

"What if Kaito dies?" Luka broke the silence.

"No. He will survive." Akaito responded, "He has to survive!" He watched as Kaito's chest rose and fell rhythmically. He could tell his brother was in pain the way his jaw was set around the breathing tube. His hands clenched and unclenched with each breath. A doctor injected something into the IV in his arm. Kaito relaxed as his pain was taken away. It really hurt to see him like this. He prayed Kaito would recover. He had to recover.

Several hours went by. Dr. She entered the room.

"Good news, it is not contagious. Bad news, he has TMV, Tyrants Multicomplex Virus. His case is very advanced. Unfortunately, this is a virus we can't treat with antivirals. It all depends on his immune system to fight the virus. We will provide supportive care. He will be moved to the ICU. You are free to leave." Dr. She explained, "TMV is rare. It starts as a simple throat virus that mutates into the TMV virus. We do not yet understand how this happens."

They returned to the waiting area for a bit before being led to the ICU. Due to being so severely ill, Kaito had been placed in the area in front of the nurse's station. The area was crowded with machinery, wires and tubes nearly covering Kaito's body.

"Why does Kaito look a bit blue?" Akaito asked.

"That's called Cyanosis. It means he's not getting enough oxygen." Dr. She made a few adjustments, "If this keeps up, we have a problem. He'll need to be put on an ECMO, which the hospital does not have. ECMO stands for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator."

"Do you think he'll get better?" Luka asked sometime later as they sat in chairs around Kaito's bed.

"He will pull through." Miku replied, "He is a fighter. I know he can beat this."

"Kaito, fight! Don't give in!" Luka begged the sick blue haired singer.

"Miku, you will need to call Rin and see if she can get our remaining concerts canceled." Mieko replied, "None of us are going to want to leave Kaito's side."

"I will go make the call." Miku left.

The heart monitor started beeping rapidly. It was clear that Kaito was struggling to get more air. A nurse raced over and made a few adjustments. Dr. She dashed in.

"I want the ventilator wide open, and run a central line!" Dr. She ordered, "I have to try to increase the amount of oxygen in his blood!" She drew a vial of blood, "You, run this to the lab and tell them to step on it! I want results ASAP!" A nurse took the vial and ran off.

"V-fib!" a male nurse called out, "Somebody get cardiology up here!"

"You bag! You find me a defibrillator, and I'll do chest compressions!" nurses and doctors swarmed over Kaito.

"I can't get a pulse!"

"Where is that dang defibrillator?"

"Cardiology is on line one!"

"Tell them I need them here, not on the phone!"

"Found one!" A nurse rushed the crash cart over to Dr. She.

"Charging, give me 200 joules! Clear!"

Kaito's body lurched under the shock.

"Still nothing! Resuming chest compressions!"

"Hold! He's flat lining!"

"Clear!" The team dove away as Kaito lurched again.

"I've got a pulse! Blood pressure is rising! He's stabilizing!"

"Somebody want cardiology?"

"You are a little late! We got him back, but I'm worried. I think the virus made it to his heart."

"Let's see. There is a murmur going on. I'd say you are right. The virus is attacking the valve that prevents backflow. I may have to call in a cardio surgeon assess the heart."

"It's okay, the crisis is over. We got him back." Dr. She turned to the Vocaloids, "It's in his heart. Another episode like this, and we may not be able to get him back. He is touch and go right now, and I am searching for a way to treat this. There are experimental treatments I am looking into. You may stay with him."

Akaito was the first to reach his brother's side.

"Kaito, its Akaito. You need to fight hard for me. I believe in you. I know you can beat this. Please, don't go where I can't follow! I don't want a future without you in it! You are going to beat this!" Akaito sniffled, "What good is a twin missing his other half?"

* * *

Kaito was watching from his place against the wall. It had been a shock to wake up to find that he was invisible, and unable to interact with the world around him. He heard everything that was being said, and watched as the staff fought to bring him back. Wait, if he were to die, would he be stuck in this between world forever?

"You won't be here forever. You are only here until you ether recover or die."

Kaito jumped and turned, "You can see me?"

"Duh, I'm a reaper. My name is Kiki." The girl was short, and sported short purple hair with red eyes. She was wearing a black and red version of Miku's outfit minus the tie.

"Reaper, as in Grim Reaper? Aren't you supposed to be tall skeleton, in a black robe, carrying a scythe? I'm dying, right?" Kaito asked.

"That was back in the middle ages. We change with time, and I'm a girl, so back then I would appear as an old withering crone. Considering the fact you are deteriorating, yes. At the rate you are fading, you've got four to six hours at most." Kiki also held a glaive. Kaito wondered how he had missed that.

"How do I live? I've got ice cream yet to be devoured, songs to write and sing, and did I mention the ice cream yet to be eaten?" Kaito teared up, thinking about the stash of chocolate chip cookie dough mint pistachio ice cream he had been planning to eat before the migraine hit.

"There is a chance, a very slim one that you can pull through." Kiki answered.

"What do I do?"

"Nothing, except will yourself to fight hard. You are fighting TMV, which is fatal nearly 95% of the time. You are young, and that helps you. Your diet of ice cream on the other hand, not so much." Kiki rolled her eyes.

"Hey! Ice cream can be healthy!"

"When was the last time you ate something other than ice cream?"

"Um, oh! About four weeks ago, I had the flu, and I got force fed leek soup!"

"Oh crap. You are going to die."

"Why?"

"That flu? That was the onset of phase one of TMV. You are in phase three, the fatal phase. Phase two is the vomiting phase. Tell me, have you vomited blood?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, but you are at the end. I can take you now."

"No. I'm not leaving!"

"You don't get a choice."

"I don't care!"

The next thing Kaito knew, the glaive was at his neck. He dared not to swallow, or breathe.

"I do care. Six hours. You show improvement, I'll let you keep fighting. No improvement, I take you away."

"Deal." Kaito turned to face himself in the bed, "This is a battle I can't afford to lose. If I'm going down, I'm going down fighting."

* * *

Len and Gakupo entered the concert hall together. They headed to the dressing area and went in, only to stop short.

"Why is Akaito tied to the chair with his own scarf, and why is Luka trying to put makeup on him?" Len asked, "Why is Miku banging her head against the wall?"

"Where is Kaito at?" Gakupo looked around.

"Somebody help me!" Akaito wailed.

"Hold still or I'll poke your eye out!" Luka shot back, a mascara wand in her hand.

"I'm going to die!" Akaito sobbed.

"It's just a little makeup! It won't kill you!"

"I don't care!"

"Would you stop crying? This isn't waterproof!"

"I can't!"

Len and Gakupo looked at each other. Gakupo put his fingers into his mouth and whistled sharply. Everyone jumped.

"What is going on here?" Len asked.

"Luka won't stop torturing Akaito, Mieko is taking forever in the bathroom, and I'm worried about Kaito!" Miku snapped, "I'm getting a headache because of those two!"

"I think you got a headache because you were banging your head against the wall." Len quipped, only to find himself running for his life which Miku behind him, hurling insults and threats about what she was going to do when she caught him.

"My eye!" Akaito screamed.

"I told you not to move!" Luka snarled.

"I can't see!"

"Whose fault is that?"

"I'm in hell!"

Gakupo sighed and whistled a second time, only to be smacked by Mieko, who thought he had whistled at her. Gakupo soon joined Len in the run for his life.

"Oh no, I'm not wearing lipstick!" Akaito cried out.

"It's lip gloss, you big baby!" Luka hissed.

"I don't ca-miff! I think I'm going to be sick! That stuff tastes awful!"

"You are not supposed to eat it!"

"You put it in my mouth!"

"You opened your mouth!"

"Oh god, is that blush?"

"That's next."

"Somebody kill me now!"

 _*FWEEET!*_

Once again, everybody jumped. Poor Akaito wound up stabbed in the other eye by the lip gloss wand.

"What is going on here?" It was Rin, "Luka, lip gloss goes on the lips, not on the eye, Mieko and Miku, unhand the boys! Also, where is Kaito?"

"I'm blind!" Akaito sobbed.

"I've been wondering where Kaito is too." Len crept away from Miku.

"Yeah, where is he?" Gakupo asked, moving well out of Mieko's reach.

Miku, Mieko, Akaito, and Luka froze. They looked at one another.

"Luka, I thought you were going to tell them." Mieko said.

"I forgot." Luka answered, "I was too busy worrying."

"Nobody thought to tell them?" Miku asked.

"Somebody please just tell us what is going on!" Rin screamed.

The four singers eyed each other.

"Somebody say something, before Gakupo decides to go samurai on us." Luka realized Gakupo's hand was going for his sword.

"Kaito is dying." Akaito was blunt.

Rin turned white and passed out. Len fell against the door. Gakupo sank into a chair.

"This had better be a joke!" Gakupo spat.

"Akaito! Did you have to be so blunt?" Mieko slapped the red head, hard.

"You left a mark!" Akaito wailed.

"I wish it were a joke, but it is not." Miku filled them in after waking Rin with a dire threat involving Kaito, and ice cream.

"And nobody thought to call us?" Gakupo asked.

"It was the last thing on our minds." Luka said.

"We should be with Kaito!" Len cried out, "The concert should have been cancelled!"

"That's what I told Miku!" Akaito said.

"I tried. This one couldn't be cancelled, but I got the rest of our performances on hold." Miku walked toward the door, "Akaito is doing Kaito's parts, and is doing solos for the songs he was going to duet with Kaito." They headed toward the stage.

"Hey! Wait! I'm still tied up!" Akaito called. Gakupo ran back in, grabbed the chair, and wheeled Akaito out. "The point was that you untie me!"

"No time, you'll kill me if I cut your scarf, and you are up!" Gakupo shoved the chair toward the stage. The chair was stopped by Luka, who quickly cleaned and reapplied the makeup. Hearing the beat of the first song starting, she gave the chair a swift kick. As the chair was sent flying, Akaito realized the chair was not going to stop on the stage. He did the only thing he could do. He let out a high pitched very feminine scream.

"Well what do you know, he can hit high notes." Len quipped.

Akaito vanished through the opposite door. There came a lot of noise attenuated by high screams. It got quiet.

"Akaito?" Miku called.

"Can someone please untie me now?" Came the pained reply over her headset.

"Luka, you tied him, you go untie him, now." Miku ordered.

Luka left, and in a few moments, Akaito stumbled onto the stage, his eyes replaced by swirls. He shook his head, and returned to normal.

* * *

"Tick tock, tick tock, four hours until you are mine."

Again, Kaito jumped.

"Would you quit sneaking up on me like that?" Kaito turned, only to find he was alone, "I'm totally living."

"Omigosh! You're Kaito!"

Kaito jumped for the third time, "Why must people sneak up on me?" he turned, "I take it you are a fan?"

"I'm a huge fan! I just love your rendition of Tell Your World!" The black haired green eyed boy said, "I'm Saito."

"Why aren't you by your body?" Kaito asked.

"You can move around the hospital here in the Between World, but you can't leave the Hospital. You don't look very good." Saito said, "I'm here because I have HBD, Heart Beat Disorder. My heart is shaped like an upside down pear. My left ventricle ruptured, and I'm dying."

"I'm not dying." Kaito said.

"Tick tock, tick tock, three hours until you are mine." Kiki appeared, "Saito, it is time."

"I'm ready." Saito smiled, "Well, I got to meet my favorite singer."

Kiki brought her glaive to bear, "This won't hurt at all." She plunged her glaive into Saito's chest. The 7 year old boy smiled as his body turned to dust and floated away.

"From the dust we are born, and back to dust we go when it is time. I hate taking the young, but it was Saito's destiny to die. He has contributed to science, and will contribute even more with his death. He will pave the way for a cure for HBD, and in the future, he will live on as an Internet Navigator."

"You will not take me without a fight."

"For the last time, you don't get a choice, and bribery won't work as I'm not a living human, and no, I can't take your place." Kiki explained, "Hmm, looks like they are putting you on dialysis. Must be kidney failure." Kiki watched.

"Are you enjoying this?"

"Yes, yes I am. It is not often I get to watch my victims die."

"I'm not dying."

"You are in denial. That is normal."

"I'm not in denial!"

* * *

"I'm glad that is over." Rin replied as they walked toward the hospital, "Gakupo, next time, avoid the carbonated drinks."

"I didn't mean to burp in the middle of our duet! I'm never going to live this down, right?" Gakupo turned away.

"Probably never." Rin said.

"I'm pretty sure I broke something falling down the stairs while tied by my own scarf to the chair." Akaito grumbled.

"Yes, you broke the chair. Now you owe me a new one." Luka replied.

"Really, I'm not in the mood to listen to you lot bicker, okay? I just want to return to Kaito's side." Miku growled, "The next person to argue, I'll tell Kaito it was you that threw out his ice cream."

"That was Akaito!" Luka cried.

"It was for his own good!" Akaito added.

"You know he won't see it that way." Gakupo pointed out, "If he ever finds out, nice knowing you, Akaito."

They quieted down as they entered the hospital. Dr. She was waiting for them with an iPad. Fear flickered in Akaito's eyes.

"Did anything happen?" Akaito asked.

"Since you are his brother, you need to come with me. First, his kidneys have shut down, and his liver is failing. He is in the same area as before, and I have a nurse watching over him." Everyone but Akaito took off. "This will be easier in my office." Dr. She led Akaito to her office where they sat down. "Have you thought about end of life care?"

"What? You think my brother is dying!"

"Calm down. I only want you to be prepared. Now, what about end of life care?"

"We talked about that back when he first started getting his migraines. He told me he did not want to be kept alive by machine. He does not want to be resuscitated." Akaito explained, "I wanted to ask about bringing him home. I'd rather he die in a familiar place surrounded by family and friends."

"I'll see if that can be arranged. If that can't be arranged, we'll make sure his passing is as painless and comfortable as possible. We'll shut life support off and let him go. It may take some time, but it will be peaceful." Dr. She said, "I may have found a treatment. It is called the Milwaukee Protocol. We bring him to the edge of death to protect his brain, giving time for his immune system to fight off the virus. It is only effective 20% of the time, and with Kaito's current state, he may have only a 5% chance to survive. It is up to you."

"Do it. I'd rather lose my brother knowing we tried everything. I wouldn't be able to live with myself wondering what if." Akaito did not have to think about his answer.

"Okay, I need your signature here and here, giving us permission to do the Protocol." Dr. She gave Akaito some papers to sign.

* * *

"He looks terrible." Gakupo whispered.

"Well duh. People tend to not look good when they are sick." Len said, "I've heard that sometimes, a person in a coma can hear loved ones talking. I wonder if Kaito hear us?"

"All we can do is wait and pray." Mieko sat down in a chair, "I know Akaito is not taking this well. It has to hurt, seeing your own twin in this condition. Oh, here is Akaito now. Well, what did the doctor say?"

"Dr. She wanted to know about my decision on end of life care. I am honoring Kaito's wishes. He is not to be kept alive on machines, and he is not to be resuscitated ether. If it is possible, I plan to bring him home to die." Akaito forced his tears back, "I never thought I would have to make those kinds of decisions for my brother." He desperately wanted to give voice to his grief and pain. He never thought that losing Kaito would hurt this bad. Carefully avoiding the tubes and wires, Akaito joined Kaito in the bed, his hand taking Kaito's cold hand, "I'm here, Kaito."

* * *

"Tick tock, tick tock, one hour until you are mine."

Kaito sighed. He was really beginning to despise Kiki. He had followed Akaito into the doctor's office, and learned that his brother would honor his wish to not be kept alive by machine, nor be resuscitated. Akaito was right about one thing. Kaito would rather pass at home. He watched as Akaito joined him in the bed. Closing his eyes, he could just picture Akaito's comforting pressure on his hand.

"I can't leave." He whispered softly, "I can't do that to Akaito, or to the Vocaloids. They need me as much as I need them."

"Yet you know you can't stay."

"Kiki, please not now."

"You know you are at the end."

"I'm still going to fight!"

"You can fight all you want. It won't do you any good. I can see into the future, and it looks like you will suffer a lot before I take you."

"The future isn't fixed. It can be changed."

"Yes, the future can be changed. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do here in the between world. Your brother really cares about you. He is silently crying. I've watched full grown men sob like babies when I take their loved one. This job is not pleasant. I absolutely hate taking babies and young children. They've barely had a chance to live." Kiki pouted.

"Then why do this job?"

"I was created for this job."

"You are lonely, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes I am. This is the first time I've had to talk to someone. Saito was here in this world for seven hours. Some do stay longer, but never for long."

"What about those people who spend years in a coma?"

"I take their souls, but the body remains as a vessel for a new soul to inhabit it. These souls lived once before, but failed to complete their objective. This is their second chance. If they fail again, the soul simply ceases to be. There are no third chances."

Kaito looked back at himself lying on the bed. Akaito was crying silently. He wanted to comfort Akaito and let him know everything would be okay. Would it be okay? Was he really going to die in an hour, no, make that 45 minutes? What could he do? This wasn't right! There had to be some way to change the future, but what? He narrowed his eyes. This was one fight he refused to lose.

"30 minutes. Soon my glaive, very soon."

"Kaito knew what he had to do. He had to wake up.

"I know what you are thinking!"

Kiki was really getting on his nerves. He wondered if it was possible to muffle the reaper.

"I know how to stop you."

"Do you now?"

"I need to wake up."

"Drat. You figured it out. If you do wake up, you will not remember the between world. You've got oh, 25 minutes. If you fail, you are mine."

Just how was he supposed to get himself to wake up? He focused on Akaito. Just maybe, the twin bond would help. Closing his eyes, he focused on the hand in Akaito's hand. If he could just get himself to move…

* * *

"I don't know if you can hear me, Kaito, but I'm going to talk anyway. I know you are fighting so hard right now, and I know how easy it would be to let go and slip away. If you need to go, then go. I'll survive somehow. I won't hold it against you if you go. I don't want you to hurt anymore." Akaito stopped to wipe tears from his eyes, "Just know that I'm here, and that I do love you. It will be hard, but somehow the Vocaloids and I will move on. You are probably too deep to hear me." Again, he wiped his eyes. Just how much could he cry? Wait, was that Kaito's hand tightening around his own? No, it wasn't true, just a desperate hope, nothing more. Wait; there was definite pressure on his hand. He didn't dare to look, fearing that this was just false hope. No, it was true. Kaito really was squeezing his hand. That had to be good, right?

* * *

"Well, times up." Kiki appeared again, "Time to go."

"I'm not going anywhere." Kaito could feel Akaito's hand holding his own.

"I gave you six hours. You must honor our deal." Kiki snapped.

Kaito knew the reaper was right, "I'm sorry, Akaito." He turned to her, "Make it quick."

"This won't hurt a bit." Kiki brought her glaive to bear. With a quick thrust, she drove it into Akaito's chest. Instead of him fading into dust, the head of the glaive turned white. Kiki pulled it out, "Well what to you know. The guy upstairs has spoken. You are spared. Now, don't make me come back and take you. Go recover." Kiki promptly vanished.

* * *

Dr. She came by to check on her patient, and to talk to Akaito. She couldn't help but smile as she saw Akaito lying beside Kaito. The twin bond was strong between them. The rest of the band had left to allow Akaito some time alone with Kaito. She cleared her throat. Akaito moved a bit, sitting up as much as Kaito would allow.

"I have good news. Kaito has been approved for the Milwaukee Protocol. You guys must be very close." Dr. She said.

"That is good. Kaito has been holding my hand, and as you can see, hasn't let me go yet." Akaito smiled, "That is good, right?"

"That is very good. That means that he is aware, and has been taking comfort from you. I have noticed that he does a bit better when you are close by. I'm going to get the ball rolling on getting ready for the Protocol. Your friends are here." Dr. She watched as the other Vocaloids trooped in and took chairs around their fallen friend. "Kaito has been approved for an experimental procedure. It is called the Milwaukee Protocol. Basically, we bring him to the very edge of death itself. To do this, we put him into a deep coma. This will protect his brain, and give time for his immune system to catch up to the virus. Hopefully, this will work. However, there is only a 20% chance of survival, and due to Kaito's current condition, his chances of surviving are far lower, around 5%. It will take eight days for the treatment to be complete. This is basically us putting all our chips in. We will begin the protocol soon. Unfortunately, while under the protocol, Kaito has to be put in isolation to prevent another infection from setting in. While he is in isolation, you all may watch through the window. This is my best shot at saving him, and I pray this works."

"That might be a bit difficult, considering the fact Kaito is keeping Akaito close." Gakupo said, "You may have to surgically separate them."

"Seriously? At a time like this?" Mieko spun to face the purple haired teen.

"Don't you dare!" Rin got between them.

Gakupo decided he valued his life more than ticking the two girls off, so he wisely chose to keep his mouth shut.

"I need to go for a bit, okay? I'll see you really soon. I promise." Akaito untangled himself from Kaito, "You fight harder then you ever have in your life, got me? Don't lose."

"There is something else you need to know. If Kaito survives, he may not be same boy you know. He will be pretty weak, and he may have to relearn how to walk and do simple tasks, and quite possibly, relearn how to talk. It all depends on how much damage the brain suffers. Even though we are trying to protect the brain, there is a very strong chance that the virus is already attacking there. This will stop the virus from causing any more damage to his brain." Dr. She explained, "I already told Akaito this. While we prepare, take the time to say your goodbyes." She left.

The group eyed each other. Who would be first? Gakupo sighed and walked toward the bed. He looked down at Kaito.

"Kaito, its Gakupo. I don't know what to say. I do know I'm not saying goodbye. I want you to think of this as a samurai match between you and me. You are good enough to beat me, so do it." He walked away.

Miku went next. She felt herself tearing up. "It's Miku." Her tears refused to be stayed, "I promised myself I wouldn't cry. It hurts to see you like this. I can't believe this is happening! Please, don't go!" sniffling, she walked away.

"I'm next." Len moved forward, "Kaito, its Len. This is not and will never be goodbye, you hear? Come back to us." He moved away, hiding the fact he was crying.

"I'll go." Luka walked up to the bed, "its Luka. This is so hard. Why didn't we see it sooner? Why didn't you tell us? I know you hate having to be taken care of, but this never should have happened. I'm not saying goodbye ether. Instead, I will see you later."

"I'm next." Mieko walked past Luka and stood by the bed, "Hey, its Mieko. This too is not good bye. I'm not and will never be ready to say goodbye to you. You can't let it end this way!" Mieko returned to the group, not caring about who saw her tears.

Rin was next. She stared down at Kaito, and choked back her tears. "Hey, Kaito, it's Rin. I'm at loss for words. I know nothing I say will magically make you better. This too is not goodbye ether. Don't leave. Fight hard." Rin went back to the group.

Akaito knew he was up. He went to Kaito's side. "It's me, Akaito. There is so much I could say, but with you, I never needed to say anything. You always knew what I was feeling. Why didn't you confide in me that you weren't well? I don't like seeing you like this. This is not right. Stay with us. Don't go to that place where we can't follow. Fight, and live for us. Live, for me." He returned to the others.

Dr. She came and took them to the isolation room where the group took up places in front of the window. Moments later, Kaito was wheeled in by a doctor in a biohazard suit. The rules were that any doctors going in by Kaito were to suit up to keep themselves from causing another infection from setting in, and to protect themselves from any blood from Kaito. While TMV came from a simple throat virus, once it was in the blood, there was a slim chance of it spreading by contact with said blood. It couldn't spread by air or by most other body fluid. Still, no one was taking any chances. This wait would be a long one.

 **Queen Sunstar: I couldn't decide which way I wanted to take this, so I'm doing both a sad ending and a happy ending. Like I said earlier, Akaito is fun to torture. Anyway, beside this story, I'm thinking about a crossover between and the Vocaloids. I'll reveal more at the end of my happy ending, but from the ideas my brain cooked up, well, it will be dark. No worries, I likely won't kill anybody, I think. So, how did I do? Feel free to criticize my work. I can't improve without it. If you wish to flame me, feel free, but please explain why.**


	2. Sad Ending

Akaito sat with his back against a smooth curved stone. He looked up at the sky. It was evening, the sun sinking below the horizon. It was very peaceful.

"Hard to believe it has almost been one year since the day you died, Kaito. Like you wanted, I had you brought home. You lingered for a little over a week before finally passing away. You were not alone. We all were there with you, and Dr. She was there too. Since you were her patient, she needed to be there to confirm that you were gone."

Akaito remembered that horrible day almost a year ago. It had been raining hard, almost like Mother Nature was crying too. Akaito had held Kaito against him on the bed while the others and Dr. She had gathered.

"It is almost time." The doctor had said.

Miku and Mieko had cried. Rin and Len had held each other. Luka had leaned against the wall, her arms crossed. Gakupo had stood by the window. The sadness had been so thick that Akaito had wondered if it was possible to cut it. He had put his head on Kaito's chest, listening to his slowing heart.

"I held you. Did you know we were there? Did you know what was happening? I heard your hearts final beat."

 _"It is over. Kaito is gone." Akaito whispered._

 _Dr. She listened for the heart beat she knew wasn't there any longer, "Time of passing, 3:10 PM, Monday afternoon."_

 _Mieko sobbed, throwing herself into Gakupo's arms. Akaito remained where he was, ignoring the tears that now rolled down his face. The emptiness he felt inside was nearly unbearable. Len and Rin held each other as they both cried. Luka stayed where she was. After a while, Miku pulled Akaito away from Kaito's lifeless form. Akaito sank to the floor, Miku holding him as he poured out his anguish._

"I never knew I could hurt so much. Each night I prayed I wouldn't awake up again and have to face another day without you. I felt so lost. It was as if something was missing, and it was you. Quite a bit has happened over the year. Mieko and Gakupo are dating. Your passing brought them together. They aren't the only ones. It took me a long while to see what I had. Miku was my anchor, my rock, during the weeks and months that followed after you died. She was always there to lend a shoulder for me to cry on. I never knew I could cry so much. We are together."

 _"Whenever you need to talk or cry, I will be there for you. You are hurting more than the rest of us are. To us, he was a good friend. To you, he was family." Miku whispered in Akaito's ear as she held him. He was crying again, clearly still grieving the loss. For a twin to lose the other twin, it had to hurt more than normal. Kaito had been there by his side all his life, but now, the red head was alone. "You feel lost, don't you? I know I'm not Kaito, but let me be your light."_

 _"It hurts!" Akaito whined, "It hurts so badly!"_

 _"I know, I know. Just let it all out. Len and Rin kind of understand your pain. They lost their parents in a plane crash. It is why they live with me. I'm their legal guardian. Kaito and I were roommates. After them, the freeloaders moved in." Miku soothed._

 _"Hey!" came two voices._

 _"I do most of the cooking!" Mieko added._

 _"I… I cleaned the shed once!" Gakupo added._

 _"Of course, Luka joined our growing family, and finally, you moved in. We are a family, your family, now. We are in this together. We all miss Kaito. You are not the only one suffering. We all are."_

 _"Why couldn't have been me? Why did it have to be Kaito? Why did Kaito have to die?" Akaito wailed._

 _"You know Kaito was very sick. He couldn't fight off the virus. He is in a better place now. I believe he is watching over us. Where he is, there is no pain anymore. If he felt any pain, he is past that now." Miku continued to hold the red head, slightly rocking back and forth, Something Kaito had once done with her after she had lost that audition. It felt like it happened years ago._

"We've grown so close. It is funny how tragedy can bring people together. I'm doing a lot better now, but I still have not set foot into your room since the day you died. I can't bring myself to even look at your bedroom door. I'm going to have to soon because we have a new roommate moving in soon. His name is Taito. He is a nice guy, and he can sing and dance pretty well, but he doesn't have your skills."

"Akaito, it's time to go." Miku walked toward Akaito. "We have a concert in a few hours, and this time, don't fight Luka on makeup."

"Taito is performing for the first time tonight." Akaito looked up at Miku, "I'm almost done."

"Make it quick." Miku waited, knowing Akaito needed to do this.

"We kept your funeral small. That day was so difficult for me. It made it real. You really were gone. We did a tribute for you at our first concert without you. I almost didn't perform. When word got out about your death, the server nearly crashed as fans rushed to our website to see if it was really true. I know many of them were praying it was just a vicious rumor, but it was true. Well, I am more tolerant of Luka doing my makeup now, and speaking of makeup, I have to get to the concert hall soon." Akaito stood and joined Miku. They faced the headstone together. The dying light lit up the engraved words.

 _Kaito Shion_

 _Loving brother, great friend_

 _1993-2015_

Miku put her head on Akaito's shoulder as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. Together they walked toward the concert hall.

 **Queen Sunstar: This chapter is short. I decided to keep it short and to the point. This was hard to write, and I rewrote it three times before putting something down that I liked. The setting sun is symbolic of death here. I hope I got names right this time. Up next, we have happy ending. This one will be a lot longer. I recently watched Kaito Ga Uninstall, and it gave me an idea for a crossover between the Vocaloids and Megaman Battle Network. I also have a second Vocaloid fanfiction in the works. That one will be a lot longer than this one. The lives of the Vocaloids get turned upside down when something not of this world turns up, and one of their own has been hiding a deep secret. The last Battle Angel must take to the skies once more to face down the Dark God Malicious and return the light to the darkened world. Reviews are always nice!**


	3. Happy Ending

**Queen Sunstar: Here are the ages for the Vocaloids in this story. Gakupo is 24 years old and is the oldest. Akaito and Kaito are 22 years old, Miku is 21 years old, Mieko is 19 years old, Luka is 16 years old, and Len and Rin are 12 years old. Miku was 18 years old when she became Len and Rin's legal guardian. Gakupo is Luka's legal guardian. Back then, she was living alone in a tiny city apartment and working on finishing high school. A distant relative died and left Mieko the house she now calls home. Kaito was the first to move in. Gakupo, Mieko, and Luka moved in next, and Akaito was the last one to move in. The house is a small mansion that sits on the top of a small hill.**

"Akaito! Akaito!" Dr. She ran toward the red head sitting before the isolation room window. Akaito looked up, a momentary flash of fear in his eyes. "It's working! The treatment is working!"

"Does that mean?"

"He's beating the virus! It is leaving his blood stream!" Clearly, Dr. She was excited, "He is going to survive! His case will be the fifth case of survival from the end stage of TMV!"

"He is going to get better? He is really going to get better?"

"Yes, he is." Dr. She explained.

The rest of the band walked toward Akaito. Miku was the first to see the red head smiling.

"Akaito is smiling, why is he smiling?" Gakupo asked.

"Oh I bet I know why." Rin said.

"Same here." Luka agreed.

"I totally know why." Miku added.

"Me too." Mieko nodded.

Len and Gakupo looked at each other.

"I'm clueless." Len said.

"What are they not telling us?" Gakupo asked.

"Geez, you two idiots, Kaito is doing better." Mieko rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes I wonder if those two have anything inside their skulls." Rin sighed.

"It is just sad." Luka added.

"Hey!" both Len and Gakupo turned on the girls, "We are right here!"

"Take it outside!" Mieko ordered.

"But they started it!" Len whined.

"I don't care who started it. I'll finish it." Mieko growled, rolling up her sleeves.

Both boys decided they'd rather live.

"Well, what is the word?" Miku asked Akaito.

"It's working." Akaito didn't take his eyes off Kaito in the isolation room.

"You mean the protocol is working?" Miku's eyes lit up.

"Does that mean Kaito is better?" Rin asked.

"Not quite yet." Akaito answered, "He is not out of the woods yet, but Dr. She says the worst is over. I just wish we knew he was sick a lot sooner than we did."

"So do I." Miku said, "I can't help but think that I could have prevented this if I had taken him in right after he got sick."

"You couldn't have known. Remember, Dr. She said that TMV is often mistaken for other problems. You know that Kaito suffers from chronic migraines, and what you described sounds just like the start of one of Kaito's more severe migraines. I don't think Kaito realized something else was going on." Akaito explained.

"I know, but I still blame myself." Miku turned to face the window, "We do need to figure out what to do about the situation with our fans. Luka told me that she took our website down to prevent word from leaking out. I know everybody is wondering about the sudden silence."

"We do have to do something about that. Maybe a press conference?" Gakupo asked.

"Luka could put the website back up and break the news there." Len suggested.

"I've been checking the internet, and you won't believe the rumors. We have got to set the record straight." Rin responded, "You don't want to know what is being said."

"Anything about me?" Len joined her.

"Surprisingly, no." Rin said, "Let's see, there is the usual we got abducted rumor, pregnant Miku rumors, quite a few one of us is missing rumors, several Kaito is dead rumors, I knew Kaito should not have done that Final Destination style music video."

"Let me see that!" Miku stormed over to Rin and joined her in front of the laptop, "That is so not true! Who are they saying is the father?"

"You really don't want to know."

"Oh I want to know!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Of all my male bandmates, it just had to be Gakupo!"

"I tried to warn you."

"Why Gakupo? I don't even see him that way!"

"Who would you rather they said it was?"

"I was hoping it was Akaito!"

"What?" Akaito was right behind them, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that! What are they saying about me?"

"Apparently, you got arrested." Rin said.

"Why is it that I'm always the bad guy?" Akaito complained.

Miku realized what she had said and blushed.

"Ooh, I definitely need to see this one. It says Akaito and Gakupo are an item!" Rin said.

"Seriously?" Akaito asked, "I noticed you haven't read any about you!"

"Here is one about Mieko! It says she ran away with Gakupo!" Luka read.

"There is nothing between us!" Gakupo spat, "Off the internet, you four!"

"That is so wrong!" Mieko added.

"Here is one about Rin!" Len called out.

"Not happening!" Rin slammed the laptop closed.

"Totally happening!" Len opened the laptop, "It says Rin and I are a… Is it really that hard to tell we are twins?"

"Off. The. Internet. Now." Gakupo spat out each word slowly and carefully, his right hand going for his katana, only to remember that he wasn't allowed to carry it inside the hospital. Rin closed the laptop quickly.

They resumed their watch. Miku glanced toward Akaito, than pulled her sight back to Kaito. No, there was nothing there. Akaito glanced toward Miku. Could there be something between them? He forced himself to tear his eyes away from Miku. No, there was nothing between them, so why did their fans insist on shipping them? The worst pairing he had found was himself and Kaito. He had actually wondered if the fan behind the pairing even knew that he and Kaito were twins. It wasn't like it was a secret. It was very obvious they were related. They had the same face for crying out loud! Kaito was taller by two inches, and while they had different eye and hair colors, they still were twins. Speaking of twins, he resumed his watch on his twin. It had been five days since the Protocol began, and it would be another three days until it ended. After that, it would be a waiting game until Kaito woke up. Dr. She had said that Kaito's coma could last weeks, even months. That still didn't solve the problem with the fans.

"Breaking the news on our website is a no go. The traffic alone would crash the server." Luka broke the silence.

"We have to get word out." Gakupo replied.

"I think our best bet would be a press conference." Mieko said, "But who is going to do the talking?"

"I'm not leaving Kaito's side." Akaito said.

"Don't look at us." Len added.

"We are too short, and it would look really bad on Miku's part that she sent out her charges." Rin said.

"Gakupo is too blunt." Luka said.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I do agree." Gakupo responded.

"Don't look at me." Mieko replied, "You all know I despise reporters."

"Mieko is right. She once got arrested for punching out a reporter. I could do it, but I think Miku should do it as she is our female lead singer." Luka brought up, "Besides, I think Mieko has a restraining order against all reporters in the city."

"I'll do it." Miku decided.

"Are you sure?" Luka asked.

"I am. I can handle it." Miku answered.

A few days later, Miku stood on the steps leading into the concert hall. The area in front of her was packed with reporters and fans. She swallowed. Squaring her shoulders, she stepped up to the microphone stand.

"I know you are all wondering what is going on, why we cancelled concerts and appearances, why our website is down. All the rumors online are not true. I am here today to tell you all the truth. About 10 days ago, Kaito got very sick. We thought he was having one of his migraines, but it turned out that was not the case. Kaito has TMV, and he is in the third phase. He fell into a coma shortly after being rushed to the hospital, and has not woken up yet. There is some good news. Doctors tried an experimental treatment to save his life, and it is working. We all have been staying by his side through this difficult time. I cannot tell you where Kaito is at. Now, I will take questions." Miku explained.

"What about the tickets to the concerts that have been canceled?" A reporter called out.

"We will honor those tickets with next few concerts we perform. Those concerts won't happen for a while yet, not until Kaito recovers." Miku answered.

"What is TMV?" another reporter asked.

"TMV stands for Tyrants Multicomplex Virus. It is a very rare mutation of a common throat virus. Doctors are not sure how the mutation occurs. The mutation happens to one in ten million people. Kaito is the fifth person to survive the virus in phase three. I need you all to keep us in your prayers. One more question, then I must leave." Miku answered.

"Why did you wait so long to break the news?" a female reporter asked.

"Well, for a while, the only thing on our minds was Kaito. He was in pretty rough shape. At one point, we came very close to losing him. Also, we were not sure how to break the news. I need to return to Kaito's side. Don't worry; there will be further updates on our website. We have a section on Kaito and what has happened so far." Miku smiled brightly and left the stand. She was very relieved to escape to the hospital. Press conferences always made her feel nervous because at one of her early ones, she had come very close to dying. An out of control van had swerved into the crowd. Miku remembered seeing nothing but headlights. She had closed her eyes, expecting to be hit, but at the last moment, she found herself out of harm's way on the ground. Looking up, she had seen Akaito's worried gaze. He had saved her at the last second. Her only injury was a bruised shoulder from hitting the ground. Ever since, she always felt nervous while doing press conferences.

Reaching the hospital, she took the elevator to the ICU floor. On the way up, she took some deep breaths to calm herself down. She was trembling a little. By the time she reached her friends, she was fine. She resumed her watch over Kaito. Everyone was wondering how long would Kaito's coma last?

"So, you are still here."

Kaito jumped and spun, "You again? For the last time, I'm not dying!"

"Geez, relax. I'm not here to take your soul." Kiki appeared, "Oh yes, I remember the van incident. We reapers took 21 souls that day."

"Why are you here?" Kaito sighed.

"What? I like tormenting you." Kiki spotted Miku, "There is the one who got away. I wish I could take her."

"Don't you dare touch her!" Kaito roared.

"Geez, touchy today, are we? I can't take her even if I wanted to. She is not in the Between World. If she were to have an accident, say, fall down a flight of stairs, she would end up here where I'll be waiting to take her." Kiki gave a too large and very creepy smile.

"Don't even think it!" Kaito snarled.

"Oh calm down. Ooh, elevator crash in the Sears Tower!" Kiki vanished.

Kaito decided he definitely hated Kiki. At the same time, she did make the Between World a little less boring.

Dr. She came and checked on Kaito, "Blood test results are very promising. The virus is leaving his blood stream. Unfortunately, his kidney function is still down, but there is still hope that they will recover. Hmm." She listened to Kaito's heart, "I'm going to have a cardiologist come and take a look. I don't like what I am hearing. Also, his liver function is getting better."

"When will Kaito wake up?" Len asked.

"I wish I knew. It could be anywhere from days to weeks, even months. I can safely say that he will wake up, just not when." Dr. She answered.

"Can a coma last years?" Rin asked.

"They can, but it is very rare. The longest someone has been in a coma is 42 years. I have faith that Kaito will wake up long before that much time passes. I know it is hard to have to wait, but right now it is a waiting game." Dr. She went to the phone to call cardiology. A cardiac surgeon met her a few moments later.

"I'm Dr. Saia, and I'm a cardiac surgeon." Dr. Saia introduced himself. He listened to Kaito's heart, his eyes closed. "There is a definite murmur going on. I am hearing noises I should not be hearing." He looked up at the heart monitor, "I don't like how wide those T-waves are. I am ordering a heart series to be run on him. Once I have a better idea of what I am looking at, we will go from there. Don't look so worried. Most likely, it is just a buildup of scar tissue from the virus. If that is the case, I can remove the scar tissue to help his heart work better."

Both doctors stepped away from the Vocaloids.

"She, I went ahead and talked to the cardiology team at Mercy. They want him in their care." Saia said.

"What is your take on the problem with his heart?" She asked.

"I know that he is on his way to a major heart attack. I want the series I ordered on the fast track. Seaside Providence has one of their ECMOs on its way here."

"How do you feel about Mercy's team taking him into their care?"

"Honestly, a bit relieved. They are one of the best teams around. Thing is, in his condition, moving him to Mercy is too dangerous. That is why I've decided to handle the surgery myself. Mercy is sending their team over to assist. My team is good, but it is too small for what needs to be done."

"You know what the tests will reveal."

"I didn't want to scare his friends. If I'm right, part of the heart muscle is dying due to a blockage caused by scar tissue."

"How long until the ECMO gets here?"

"Eight hours by helicopter."

"How long does Kaito have?"

"Four to six hours at most."

"Is there anything you can do to buy time?"

"No."

"Doesn't Mercy have an ECMO?"

"Yes, and it is in use by another patient."

"I thought they had more than one."

"One is at a small hospital, one is in use by a patient, and one is broken."

"Can Seaside's helicopter fly faster?"

"I'm going to talk to them again. There just might be a way to shave time off the trip."

"I've got nine souls in the bag. I need one more to meet the month's quota." Kiki appeared, "I wish I could take yours, but I'll be in big trouble by the guy upstairs if I do."

Kaito sighed, "You, again. Don't you ever get tired of tormenting those of us stuck in this between world?"

"Nope!" Kiki grinned, "The job is depressing, and my way of fighting the blues is tormenting those stuck here. Hmm, looks like you are on your way to a major heart attack, if your heart monitor is to be believed."

"I think I'm too young for a heart attack."

"Nope! Heart attacks strike any age. I'm bored. I need a natural disaster or something to happen so I can reap more souls. By the way, you will feel the heart attack from here."

"That is if it happens. Shouldn't there be other people in here?"

"You are the hospitals only coma case at the moment. Oh, they are taking you for tests, likely a series on your heart. This will be fun to watch." Kiki followed the doctors to the Cath lab, "Contrast test! I love these tests!"

"Something tells me this is entertainment for you." Kaito had followed.

"What? Things didn't start getting interesting in the medical world until the 1960s, when CPR was invented. The Black Death was a fun time. So many souls to collect, so little time to do so." Kiki replied.

"ADD, much?" Kaito asked.

"Try spending over two billion years in the Between World, then come tell me it doesn't make you a bit insane. I was one of the first Reapers. I saw life just after it began. Way back then, it was soooo boring. I was reaping cells. Cells! Cells don't do anything except divide! It finally got fun when the guy upstairs decided to remove the dinosaurs. It was awesome, watching that giant hunk of space rock crashing into the world. All that beautiful destruction, the resulting Siberian eruptions, the fires, the awesome sunsets, the reaping! Ooh, looks like blood is flowing backwards. That means surgery, and there is nothing more entertaining than surgeries!" Kiki responded, "Cardiac surgeries are the best! I love the ones where the heart catches fire!"

Kaito wondered if it was possible to reap a reaper. Kiki was so annoying. He was pretty sure the Reaper had ADD. It was nearly impossible to follow her train of thought.

"We've got some pretty serious back flow going on, and right ventricle is enlarged. This spot here and here is scaring. This is not a pretty picture. I've already arranged for an OR, and as soon as one is free, and the ECMO arrives, I'm going in to make the needed repair. This case won't be straight forward, nor will it be easy. I've done my tests, and the results are pointing to damage to the valve between the ventricles. I am waiting for the results of the latest blood test to see where things stand virus wise." Dr. Saia relayed his results to the waiting Vocaloids, "I've done this surgery more times than I can count. He is in good hands, my hands."

"How long does this surgery take?" Akaito was surprised he was still calm.

"It runs from six to eight hours at the most." Dr. Saia answered, "I need to go get things coordinated." He left.

"At least they know what is wrong and are going to fix it." Gakupo broke the silence.

"That is a relief. Luka, Len, Rin, you three start your next school year in two weeks." Miku turned to the three youngest members of the Vocaloids, "That means we have school shopping to do, and Luka still needs to take the driving test."

"School?" Len about choked on the word, "Could we be home schooled?"

"No. and no, you are not going to start later ether."

"I haven't practiced for that test in months!" Luka panicked.

"Don't worry about that. I'll take you out for some practice, as long as someone stays here by Kaito, and gives me updates." Akaito decided.

"You could stay and I'll take her out." Gakupo offered.

"I could do it." Mieko offered.

"I'm being fought over. I like this." Luka watched as Mieko, Gakupo, and Akaito argued over who was going take her out for a driving lesson.

"That is enough you three!" Miku cut in, "Mieko, you are not allowed to teach anyone to drive! You've got too many speeding tickets as it is! The speed limit is there for a reason! Akaito, you are not allowed ether! I don't want to hear about how the tree jumped out at you, and the mail box was out to get you! I've had to replace our mail box five times, and have the tree on the far side of the front yard cut down!"

"That leaves me, and I still don't know how you managed to hit that tree." Gakupo responded.

"I told you, it jumped out at me." Akaito said.

"It is on the far side of the front yard." Mieko replied, "Its driveway, yard, tree. Somehow you went driveway, tree."

"Let's see, the blond twins will be starting sixth grade, and Luka is starting her junior year of high school, Mieko is starting her second year of college, I'll be starting year three of college, and the Shion twins will be in their final year of college, and Gakupo is going to start his second year of business school. What supplies will we need?" Miku was already making mental checklists.

"She is in mom mode again." Len whispered to Rin, "We may need to run for the hills."

"I swear I can see her mind working. It is freaky how she can craft multiple mental lists at once." Rin whispered back, "There are also the eyes in the back of her head. I know it is a saying, but I wonder sometimes if she really does have eyes in the back of her head."

"I think she can read minds too." Len whispered back.

"I'm standing right here!" Miku responded.

Both twins cringed.

The ECMO arrived in a few short hours, and the OR was ready to be used. Kaito's latest blood test showed that the virus was still active in his blood at a very low amount. It was decided to take extra precautions to prevent the chance of the virus spreading, even though the chance of it actually infecting someone else was very low. It was very early in the morning when Kaito was taken away for surgery. Akaito had stayed as usual. He was taken to a waiting room. The wait would be a long one. Everyone had gathered together by nine in the morning. At noon, Gakupo took Luka out for a driving lesson. Miku dragged Akaito home, promising to call if she heard anything. The blond twins were behaving themselves for once. Even they understood how bad the situation was. Mieko alternated between pacing and sitting. The hours trickled by very slowly. Len and Rin were getting bored. Thankfully, Mieko was saved from dealing with them by the arrival of a pediatric nurse who wanted to know if the twins wouldn't mind helping to cheer up the children in the pediatric unit. The twins quickly agreed. They left as Miku rejoined Mieko.

"The twins are going to go do some entertaining." Mieko replied to the unasked question. She looked up at the clock, "It's been twelve hours now since the surgery started. I thought it was supposed to be eight hours long."

"We have to be patient. No news is good news, remember?" Miku answered.

"I'm starting to get a bit concerned." Mieko resumed pacing.

"I can't believe it! It really is them!"

"Wait until my sister hears I got to meet Len and Rin!"

"Sing for us!"

"Yeah, sing for us!"

Once the voices were silent, Len spoke, "Yes, we are two of the Vocaloids. It really is us. We are here to give you a little performance."

"So, any requests?" Rin asked.

"I just love Daughter of Evil!" A girl called out.

"Yeah! Let's hear it!" a boy added.

"Daughter of Evil it is then. Can any of you tell us the true story behind the song?" Rin asked, pointing to a girl who raised her hand.

"It is from long ago. A Queen had twins, a boy and a girl. When they were ten, they were separated. The girl became queen at the age of 14. She fell in love with the Prince in blue. She offered marriage to him, but he turned her down because he was in love with a green haired girl from the neighboring Green Kingdom. The Queen's twin brother returned and became her most trusted servant. She told him she wanted all green haired girls killed. The twin brother did just that, killing the Prince in Blue's beloved. War broke out and the Queen's treachery was discovered. The brother and the Queen switched spots so it was the brother who got executed. It's not known what happened to the Queen. How come you two are here at the hospital?" The girl asked.

"We are here because our friend is sick. He is having surgery right now." Len answered, "And yes, that is correct."

"Oh that's right. I saw the press conference days ago. It's Kaito, right? They said he had something called TMV." A boy said.

"It is a very scary virus. Kaito fell into a coma shortly after he was brought here." Rin continued. "A coma is basically a really deep sleep."

After a few more questions, the twins launched into the song.

"16 hours and counting. What are they doing in there?" Mieko grumbled.

"I assumed they would be done by now." Gakupo and Luka had returned.

"I'm getting concerned. It wasn't supposed to last this long." Miku answered, "Akaito is at home getting some sleep."

A nurse in surgery scrubs entered the waiting room.

"Hello, I was sent to give you an update, but getting out of that suit is a surgery itself. Everything is going well. There is more scarring from the virus then expected, and we had a tense moment earlier when the ECMO lost power. We should be done in another two or three hours. Again, everything is going very smoothly." The nurse replied, "Right now, the surgeon is finally making the needed repair on that valve. I need to return to the front so to speak." The nurse left.

"I'll call Akaito." Gakupo stepped out of the room.

It was the ringing phone that woke Akaito. A quick check of the clock told him he'd slept for six hours instead of the two he originally planned on. He picked up his cell phone, the source of the ringing. He paused for a brief moment on his phones background before answering. The image sent a spark of pain through his body. He wondered as he listened to Gakupo's update if he and his brother would ever be carefree like that again. He also wondered what shape Kaito would be in when he woke up. A fist of cold fear gripped his heart. Would Kaito still know him? Was it possible for a twin to forget their own twin? What if Kaito had no memory of any of them? That would just kill Len. Kaito was the closest thing Len had to a father. Without Kaito, Len would not have anyone to turn to, other than Rin. Len had to be taking this hard, but all Akaito had seen was Len's happy mood. He jumped as Gakupo made a sharp noise.

"Yes, I'm listening! My mind wandered off on me." Akaito replied.

"You should keep it on a leash." Gakupo did not miss the opportunity.

"Ha-ha." Akaito responded dryly, "I'm heading to the hospital now." He ended the call, and put his head into his hands.

They all were suffering. In fact, the recording studio was collecting dust. No one had set foot in it all summer, not since the day Kaito had gotten sick. Meiko was more sour than usual; Luka was being clingy to Gakupo, who had become sullen. Miku was spending more and more time in mom mode, and Akaito realized he hadn't had a klutz attack in weeks. Len and Rin somehow had managed to not lose their sunny dispositions.

Oh lord, the twins had been doing their best to keep everyone's spirits up. How were they handling this so well? It had to be the innocence of youth. Wait, they already knew pain and suffering, having lost both of their parents in that plane crash back when they were nine, so then, how were they keeping their spirits up?

In another room, something clattered to the floor. There was a click. Gentle music began to play.

"Hush, now. Quiet, now. It's time to sleep now. The day is over and a new day will soon dawn. Let your dreams carry you away."

Akaito froze, recognizing both the one singing and the song. The music was coming from a music box, and the song was called Len's Lullaby. The one singing was none other than Kaito. Getting up, Akaito went to Len's room and picked up the little music box. He closed his eyes, remembering how it had been Len and Rin's 10th birthday. Len had been dealing with bad nightmares. Yes, Akaito remembered that day so clearly. It was the first full day he had spent living in the house. Kaito had recorded the song for Len into the music box. Akaito felt the dam inside beginning to break. He collapsed onto Len's bed as the dam gave away. All the emotion and pain he'd been holding inside was released in a flood of tears. At the same time, it felt good to cry, to get it all out of his system. After a while, Akaito stopped crying. He had truly needed that cry. He felt so much lighter, as if a huge weight was finally off his shoulders. He felt so much better now. Carefully, he turned the music box on and listened to his brother's gentle voice bringing life to the song. He couldn't help but nod along. He'd needed this more than he had realized. After the song finished, he placed the music box on Len's night table and left the room.

Everybody was back together by Kaito's side. The surgery had lasted a total of 16 hours. Akaito looked very relieved to be by his brother's side once more. He glanced at the blond twins, who were in chairs between Miku and Mieko's chairs. Rin looked tired, but happy, just like she did after a concert. Len's gaze was locked on Kaito's face. Akaito knew the boy was likely willing Kaito to awaken. Wait, there. There was a crack. Len really was wearing a happy face mask so to speak. Luka was leaning against Gakupo, who had put his arm around her shoulders. His face was sullen. Mieko had a scowl on her face. Miku's eyes were glazed over, a sure sign she was dealing with her mental checklists. This was also known as mom mode, as coined by Len. His gaze drifted from face to face, picking up the tiny cracks in each mask. Each mask covered a tired face filled with uncertainty and worry. Akaito knew everyone was combing their memories, trying to spot a clue far earlier that Kaito was sick before he fell ill hours before that concert. Akaito had done the same thing. He knew no one would find anything.

"You all should cast aside those masks." Akaito broke the silence, "There is no need to hide anything from anyone. We are a family, and I can see the cracks."

"He is right." Luka said, "I've been feeling so scared. At home, I dread the phone ringing because each time, I fear it is the hospital calling to say that Kaito is gone."

"I seek comfort from my mental checklists." Miku responded, "It hurts so much to see Kaito like this."

"Nothing feels the same anymore." Gakupo replied, "Even being on stage feels so wrong without Kaito there."

"I can't even enjoy ice cream anymore." Mieko looked away, "It just doesn't taste right."

"I can't write any songs right anymore." Rin spoke up, "Nothing sounds right, and Kaito always helped me when I got stuck."

Len refused to speak. It was very clear that he was fighting back tears.

"I've got no one to chew me out when I have one of my klutz attacks." Akaito said, "I've lost count on how many times I've tripped on nothing and gone down with Kaito face palming and asking just how we ended up as twins."

Len looked away. He blinked rapidly. Rin gave him a squeeze on the shoulder. Len swallowed. Akaito got up and went to the boy.

"I know I'm not Kaito, but let me be your shoulder for now." Akaito whispered.

Len didn't move at first. He suddenly threw himself into Akaito's arms, the tears he'd been fighting so hard against flowing free.

"I've got no one to go to!" Len cried, "No one to turn to! I feel like I'm all alone!"

Akaito only held Len, letting the young blond Vocaloid cry himself out. He knew Len needed this. Len needed to know that he wasn't the only one hurting. Len had not allowed anyone to get close out of fear of losing them. For a while, he'd blamed himself for his parent's deaths. He'd become rebellious. Then he met Kaito. Kaito did not pity him. He had told Len that he was willing to listen if Len ever needed to talk. Akaito and Kaito both understood the loss of parents, having lost theirs when they were 16. Theirs had vanished, leaving behind everything, even their two sons. No one knew where the Shion parents had gone. Len's sobs slowed down to the occasional sniffle.

"Feeling better yet? You are not alone. You can go to anyone of us, not just Kaito." Akaito said.

"Yeah, I'm feeling better." Len hated that he'd shown a moment of weakness. They needed him to be strong. Miku rose and knelt by Len and Akaito. She put her arms around Len.

"That wasn't a moment of weakness. That took a lot of strength." Miku whispered. Len shot Rin a look that said, "See?" Rin smirked in response. Miku was still in mom mode. "I saw that."

"Feeling a little smothered!" Len quipped, his face back to its cheerful state. He gave a playful squirm. He was released from Miku and Akaito's hold. Both Akaito and Miku froze as their fingers brushed by each other. They both quickly moved away, both of them blushing, and hiding it very unsuccessfully. Mieko and Gakupo both eyed each other, knowing exactly what the blushing meant. They both looked to Luka, who nodded, showing she had seen and understood. Rin and Len both sighed, knowing they were a bit too young to understand what the older Vocaloids saw. Dr. She entered the area carrying an iPad.

"I hope I'm not intruding." She said.

"Not at all." Gakupo answered, "What is the word?"

"Two things. First of all, the virus is gone from his body. His latest blood test shows that he is finally virus free. Number two, I looked over his medical records, and I noticed that he suffers from chronic migraines. Looking at the symptoms that come with the migraines, it is my belief that Kaito has Meniere's. It is a disorder of the middle ear that affects balance and hearing." Dr. She explained.

"Hey Akaito, it sounds like she is describing you!" Gakupo teased.

"Very funny." Akaito glared at Gakupo, "How is it fixed?"

"It can't be cured, but it can be treated. Sometimes Meniere's improves over time. It is not all bad. Many people lead normal lives despite having Meniere's. I have it, and it is kept under control through medication, and avoiding situations that trigger attacks. He has been living with it for a while now according to his medical chart. I am going to prescribe medication for it that will help bring it under control. Kaito is doing well. His heart sounds normal. I don't see why he can't awaken sometime in the next few weeks." Dr. She left.

The last few days before the start of the new school year were busy. School supplies cluttered the kitchen table while Luka, Len, and Rin packed their new school bags for school. The college level Vocaloids would start later in the month. Summer ended with little fanfare. Kaito had gotten sick a week before summer, and had been in his coma all summer. It wasn't long before collage started. Miku, Mieko, and Akaito had arranged their classes so someone was with Kaito at all times. September faded into October. Kaito still showed no sign of waking up.

Len tried to focus on his history teacher, but his mind kept returning to Kaito. Dr. She was beginning to get concerned. She had ordered more tests to see what was happening to Kaito's brain. The results had not come back yet. Len was worried himself. It was almost impossible to focus.

In her AP Calculus class, Rin was having the same problem. The equations were not difficult to solve. She wasn't bored like she had been in her original calculus class. She was worried about Kaito. What if he never woke up?

"Will Rin please report to the office?" the loud speaker went off. Rin froze. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? She gathered her stuff and walked out of the classroom. Len was walking by so she joined him.

"You too? What did we do?" Len asked.

"I don't know. May be it is about Kaito? Oh no! What if he died?" Rin felt sick inside.

"Don't think like that." Len whispered, "Kaito has got to be fine."

They entered the school office and were sent to the principal's office.

"There is a phone call for the two of you from Miku." The Principal handed Len the phone.

"Hello?" Len's voice quivered. His eyes got wide and a huge grin broke out on his face. The answering voice, despite being rough and slightly slurred from months of disuse, was very familiar.

Rin didn't dare to breathe. Len handed her the phone.

"Hello? Kaito, is it really you? I've got to be dreaming!" Rin had the same look on her face. She pinched herself, "I'm not dreaming!"

"I'm going to cry!" Len said, "I'm so happy!"

"He knows us!" Rin was already crying.

A knock sounded at the door. It opened to reveal Gakupo, with the same huge grin on his face.

"Well, you two, want to go see him?" Gakupo asked.

"May we?" Len asked.

"That is why I'm here." Gakupo answered, "Miku already gave her okay for me to come get you."

"Let's go!" Rin and Len took off for the car.

On the way to the hospital, they stopped to pick up Mieko and Akaito. It was a bit of a tight squeeze after they picked up Luka. Akaito kept wiping his eyes. Once they arrived, Miku met them coming in. She was smiling despite the tears rolling down her face. These were happy tears. Kaito had known who she was, and had starting asking about everyone else. The fact he was talking was big. Miku led them to a new floor. Since Kaito was awake and not in any danger of dying anymore, he no longer needed to be in the ICU. He was in a private room. They reached his room and went in. Len was the first to reach Kaito's side. At Kaito's beckoning, Len climbed onto the bed beside him, only to get swept into a hug. Len felt his dam break. Months of pain and uncertainty poured out of him as he clung to Kaito. It felt good to cry too. A huge weight was lifted off of him at last. The others let him have his moment, each one knowing how badly the boy needed this cry. After having his cry, Len remained clinging to Kaito.

"Feeling better now?" Kaito asked.

"Yeah, I am. I missed you so much. It was scary seeing you like that." Len responded.

"Kaito, did you know you were sick?" Miku asked.

"No, I didn't suspect anything was seriously wrong. I thought I was suffering from another one of my migraines. I started to realize something was wrong when I started coughing up blood. I remember vomiting blood then everything going black. That was the very moment I realized what I had was serious. You know, during the time I was in my coma, I could hear everything going on." Kaito answered.

"I'm glad you are back." Akaito said, "I missed you. It was like a part of me was missing."

"It is good to have you back, Kaito." Gakupo put in, "We all missed you."

"At one point, you came very close to dying." Luka added.

"Whatever it takes, we all will help you recover. You can count on us all." Miku nodded, noticing that Kaito was looking tired. "You rest; you have a long road of recovery ahead of you."

Kaito didn't need to be told twice. His road to recovery was long. He was released from the hospital six months after coming out of his coma. He spent another six months confined to a wheelchair. This was partly due to having been in a coma for so long, and due to the damage caused by the virus when it had made it to his brain. He worked hard, slowly regaining the strength he'd lost. He advanced to crunches as he grew stronger. It wasn't long before he advanced from crunches to a cane. His left leg regained normal function while his right leg remained weak. Kaito worried that he might not be able to dance like he used to. Slowly, his right leg became stronger with physical therapy. It was a full two years before Kaito returned to the stage. It did feel good to be back in the place he belonged.

 **Queen Sunstar: This ending is the true ending. This tale is finished. Next in line is Tainted, a crossover between the Vocaloids and Megaman battle network. Protoman is called in to investigate a scene of murder at the Vocaloid website. Even though he has been to other murder scenes, nothing could prepare him for this one. Even he is affected by the crime. As he puts the pieces together, he meets Madam J, the creator of the Vocaloids, who reveals Kaito wasn't the only one she built from the same program. She also built Akaito, and is worried he'll end up corrupted like Kaito. Protoman initiates a manhunt for Kaito. At the same time, the call comes in that there is another victim. When he gets there, he recognizes the latest victim, Megaman. Before losing conscious, Megaman manages to name his attacker, Kaito. Things get desperate as Madam J decides to release her prototype battle program, Gakupo, to assist in the hunt for Kaito. In quarantine at Scilabs, Akaito realizes he can track Kaito mentally. Despite misgivings, it is decided to allow Akaito to assist, creating a four member team consisting of Gakupo, Akaito, Searchman, and Protoman. I'm aiming for at least four to five chapters for Tainted. See you then, and feel free to review!**


	4. Update

**Queen Sunstar: I have decided to rewrite Kaito's Virus. The story feels rushed, and I feel I can do so much better. I will leave this one up. The rewrite is called Silent Voices. I am doing it both as a fanfiction story and as a manga. This gives me a chance to improve my drawing skills, which have improved a bit. I have most pages planned out and have one page nearly finished.**

 **Silent Voices is the same basic idea of Kaito's virus, but executed far differently, and yes, I'm going to allow a shipping. Sorry, the shipping is neither Yaoi nor Yuri. I can't bring myself to write that way. I have nothing against the gay community, but I feel uncomfortable writing that way. The shipping will be revealed in the story, not here.**

 **See you all in the new story!**


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